ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard takes leave from Elevation Tour due to health issue, John Douglas steps in

Frank Beard steps away from ZZ Top's tour for a health procedure. John Douglas will temporarily take over on drums.

Frank Beard, the longtime drummer of legendary rock band ZZ Top, has announced a temporary leave of absence from the band’s ongoing Elevation Tour due to a health issue.

The band confirmed the news on Saturday, 15 March, stating that Beard will undergo an unspecified medical procedure and will not perform during upcoming dates.

“Shelter Music Group, ZZ Top’s management, has announced the band’s drummer, Mr. Frank Beard, has temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term,” read a statement shared on the group’s official social media channels.

 

 

 

 

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To fill the gap, ZZ Top has enlisted John Douglas, a fellow Texan and long-time drum technician for the band. Douglas, also a seasoned percussionist, has a longstanding relationship with ZZ Top and notably filled in for Beard during a 2002 performance in Paris when the drummer underwent an emergency appendectomy.

“Beard, along with fellow ZZ Top members Billy F Gibbons and Elwood Francis, presently on the Elevation tour since March 5, have engaged fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer, John Douglas, for the interim,” the statement continued.

“He is looking forward to a speedy recovery,” the band concluded, showing optimism about Beard’s return.

ZZ Top resumed their Elevation Tour on 5 March, following an initial U.S. leg in late 2024. The tour is set to run through April with international stops in Australia and New Zealand. Additional North American dates are planned, but it remains uncertain when Beard will rejoin the tour.

Frank Beard has been with ZZ Top since 1969, joining shortly after the band’s formation. He, Billy Gibbons, and the late Dusty Hill held one of the longest-running line-ups in rock history until Hill’s passing in 2021. Since then, Elwood Francis has taken over bass duties.